Japanese Toki Apples and Laotian Pineapples Enter the Chinese Market

This week, the import market is still recovering from the holidays. South East Asian and Southern Hemisphere fruit, like mangoes, oranges, blueberries and avocadoes, are mainly occupying the market. However, the Chinese import market has also welcomed some new products, namely Laotian pineapples…Full Article: Fresh Plaza Oct 2017

Key Points

In general, the Chinese market prefers Filipino pineapples the most due to its sweet taste while Costa Rican supply tends to have a sour taste. For logistical reasons, Costa Rican exporters to China must harvest their fruit before they are fully ripe. Laotian pineapples, although fresher, do not have the ideal golden yellow fruit coloration that Costa Rican supply has.

China also began importing Japanese Toki apples, a hybrid of Ourin and Fuji apples, from Aomori Prefecture (Japan’s largest apple producer).

ChinaAg Comments

In September 2017, China (via Shanghai Pudong International Airport) began importing Malaysian pineapples.

In June 2017, China (via Shanghai) received its first shipment (15,000 boxes) of Costa Rican pineapples from four companies. Costa Rica’s pineapple exports took ~25 days to reach the Port of Shanghai.

In May 2017, China and Malaysia signed a trade agreement during Beijing’s Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Malaysia will reportedly export 12,000 MTs (USD 9.6 million) of pineapples per year to China.

In August 2013, Malaysia announced it planned to begin exporting pineapples to mainland China in 2014. China reportedly wanted to import one hundred 40-feet containers of pineapples per month from Malaysia.